


When Push Comes to Shove

by bentnotbroken1



Series: bentnotbroken1's harringrove for australia [5]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, M/M, Murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:27:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28133922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bentnotbroken1/pseuds/bentnotbroken1
Summary: After a nasty encounter with Neil lands Billy in the hospital, Max and Steve take it upon themselves to do something about it.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: bentnotbroken1's harringrove for australia [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615483
Comments: 8
Kudos: 81
Collections: harringrove for Australia





	When Push Comes to Shove

**Author's Note:**

  * For [druidspell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/druidspell/gifts).



> I am soooo sorry it took so long to finish this but it's finally here!! 
> 
> Thank you for bearing with me Druidspell!! 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> Violence, use of slurs, death

Prompt:hurt/comfort Steve and Max team up to take out Neil

It's a balmy afternoon in June when it happens.

The frantic _code red._

According to Dustin, they haven't used a code red since their last brush with the Upside Down, so hearing it has them all on edge. Especially because the voice on the other end of the walkie is _Max's_ , and Steve knows that Max isn't one to ask for help, isn't one to _cry_.

So her panicked, broken _Code Red_ 's could only mean one thing.

Something is really fucking wrong.

The kids have no idea what she's saying, don't understand what is going on, but they don't know what happens in that house. They don't _know._

But Steve _does,_ and his stomach plummets.

He pries the radio from Dustin's firm grip and talks to her, tries to get her to calm down, repeating _What's wrong? Are you hurt? Is Billy hurt?_

She only gets a few garbled words out before a door slams in the background and then she's abruptly cut off.

He calls her name, repeats it a few times while Lucas paces behind him, but it remains silent on the other end.

"Max?" He tries once more, voice shaking a little. "Max! Are you there!?"

She never comes back on.

That's a bad sign.

She can't answer for a _reason._ And Steve knows just because Neil hasn't hit Max before, that he's aware of, doesn't mean he _won't._ They need to get there now.

He hands the walkie back to Dustin, throwing a _call the fucking cops,_ over his shoulder as he runs out to his car. Lucas slides into the passenger side and they don't have _time_ to argue about him staying behind with Dustin and Will, so he just nods and says _put on your seatbelt_ as he speeds off in the direction of the Hargrove residence.

He's not sure how long it takes him to get there, he doesn't even remember the route he took, but when he pulls up in front of the house he notices that Neils truck is gone.

He's not sure if that is a good or bad thing. On one hand, he won't have to duke it out with the guy just to get to Billy, but on the other hand, his disappearance probably means he left a big enough mess behind that he needed to get away.

Lucas is the first one to the door but Steve almost crashes into his back when he suddenly stops half a step inside, Max's name on his lips.

"Shit, Lucas. _Move_." He shoulders past him and sees what made him stop.

And Steve…

Steve wouldn't consider himself a violent person. He never actually _liked_ getting into fights, but right now, all he can think about is how much he wants to put his fist through Neil Hargrove's face. Maybe even curb stomp his ass.

Because what kind of man, what kind of _parent_ could do this to their own kids?

Max's eye is already black and there's another bruise blooming on the side of her face. And Billy…

Well, there's more blood and bruises on his face and torso than unmarred skin.

"Jesus fuck."

Steve drops to the floor at his side and checks to see if he's even still _breathing_. "Billy? Can you hear me? Please be breathing."

He's only slightly relieved to find that he is, because he's still unconscious and Steve knows he'll be in so much pain when he wakes up.

If he wakes up…

No no no. _When_. He _is_ going to wake up. They are going to get him to the hospital and they will fix this. Fix him. They have to. Because Steve can't lose him like this.

He refuses to let that bastard win.

* * *

Max sits in the back of the beamer, breath fogging up the glass as she watches them load her brother into the back of the ambulance. The medic had tried to get her to get in too, but she's fine. She's got a black eye and a scabbed lip, maybe some welts and bruises, but nothing that needs attention.

"It's my fault." She whispers when the sirens start up.

Lucas squeezes her hand. "No, it's not."

It's nice of him to say it, but he doesn't _know_. "Yes it is. _I_ was the one that pissed Neil off today. He just got between us." She sniffs, tries not to cry. "He's been trying to keep his dad off my back for _weeks_."

"Has he hit you before?"

"He slapped me once, but it wasn't bad. More shocking than anything."

"Max-"

"I'm _fine_ , Lucas. Seriously. It's nothing, _nothing_ compared to what he does to Billy."

"But still."

She knows he is just trying to comfort her, that he cares about her. But she doesn't need comfort right now. She needs her brother to wake up.

She needs to put this horrible fucking day behind her.

* * *

By the time she's allowed to see her brother, it's starting to get dark outside and he's being moved out of the ICU. His life isn't in danger, but he still hasn't woken up. Probably _won't_ wake up anytime soon. His body is too broken. It needs to heal.

She sends Lucas home because there's nothing he can do and she needs time to process everything. So it's only her and Steve in the room when the Chief shows up.

Hopper moves toward the bed and pulls out a pad of paper. "I need you to tell me what happened today."

Steve's eyes meet hers and she knows he wants the truth too, so she takes a breath and starts, "It was about _me_...me and Lucas. He found out I was dating him because someone he works with mentioned it. He wasn't...he wasn't happy about it at all and told me to end it. I don't know what I was thinking, I just got so upset that I got mouthy. I practically told him to go fuck himself and-." Just thinking about what came next makes her heart skip a beat again. "Billy walked in on it."

When she doesn't continue, Hopper clears his throat. "What did he walk in on, Max?"

She shifts, leg bouncing and stares down at the floor. She feels sick. Doesn't want to relive it. "His dad hitting me," She pauses, swallowing hard, "with his belt."

Steve curses.

"Billy kinda flipped out and punched him when he wouldn't stop. He ended up letting me go, but then the two of _them_ started fighting. I tried to get to the phone but they were blocking it, so I got my radio...he must have heard me because he came after me again. Everything just happened so fast. He wouldn't stop and I couldn't _do_ anything!"

It takes her a second to realize she's crying and she moves to wipe her eyes, wincing when it _hurts._

"Where was your mom during this?" Hopper asks, looking down at her and flipping to a fresh page. "She obviously wasn't present. I need to contact her and update her on the situation."

"She's visiting her sister in Indianapolis. I don't know the number, but it's on the fridge."

"Ok, I can send someone to look for it." He nods, "Do you have any idea where your step father is? Where he might go to lay low?"

She knows she should tell him, should tell him exactly where that bastard probably is. She should let Hopper take care of it, take care of him, but…

She shakes her head, "No, I have no clue."

"That's ok. We'll be on the lookout for him then." He grabs the radio on his shoulder and speaks into it before addressing her once more. "I want you to stay with Steve until we can get a hold of your mom ok? I'd normally have you wait at the station but…" He sighs, "I'll allow it."

"Thank you."

"Just get some rest kid."

Rest. Hah!

She looks at her rather lifeless brother. "Yeah, I'll try."

* * *

Steve watches the Chief leave but then his attention is on Max's face. He's trying not to picture what happened to her, what Billy had walked in on. He's trying not to think about the pain they're both in right back now.

He just needs to keep his composure and wait.

He is counting his breaths and listening to his heart monitor. It's the only thing that he can focus on right now, because if he lets his mind wander he will keep thinking about what Max had said, think about what Neil had done, and he can't keep going down that road.

The hot rage will just take over and he doesn't want to let it out yet.

Max is sitting on the opposite side of Billy but neither of them are in a mood to talk. But it's not an awkward silence, it's just heavy.

It's nearly midnight before he hears her sigh, "Steve?"

He doesn't move, "Yeah?"

"I lied to the Chief."

Steve lifts his head to look at her, heart skipping a beat. "About what?"

"I think I know where Neil is." She admits, eyes now focused on her brothers still form. "He usually goes to the same place after…" She trails off. "Mom has mentioned it before."

"So, why didn't you tell Hopper?" he asks, even though he thinks he already knows why.

Her bruised face is pinched with anger and when she meets his eyes they are steely, determined, just proving his theory correct. "Because what's _he_ gonna do, huh? _Arrest him_?" She scoffs, "Cool, he'll be locked up for a couple days, but he'll eventually get out. And when he does, it's only a matter of time before he does this again and I don't…" She pauses, sucks in a shaky breath, "Billy can't _take_ another beating like this. He'll _die_ next time."

Yeah.

He knows.

She wipes a few wayward tears from her cheek. There's only the sound of the heart monitor between them, and then, "There can't _be_ a next time, Steve."

Yep. It's exactly what he thought. "Max, you can't-"

" _Don't_ tell me what to do." She hisses, " _I'm_ the one living in that house. I'm the one listening to it. I'm the one that _had the_ _ **audacity**_ to try to stop it. I'm the one that-"

He needs to stop her before she gets carried away, before she brings a team of concerned nurses in. "Max!" he snaps and she shuts her mouth with an audible clack. "I wasn't trying to tell you what to do, ok? I was _going_ to say that whatever it is you want to do, you _can't do it alone."_

"Oh."

"I'm not going to let there be a next time either."

"So, we're doing this?"

He nods, righteous anger and determination filling his chest. "We're doing this."

* * *

Max offers a couple of ideas when they get back into Steve's car, but ultimately it's Steve who comes up with the plan.

She leads him to the bar that Neil frequents and spots the Bronco II right away.

They park in the back of the parking lot and walk up to it from behind. It's locked of course, but Max knows how to pick it.

"Uh, does Billy know that you can do that?" Steve asks when the door opens.

She smirks over her shoulder, "Who do you think taught me?"

"That's fair."

Max searches the back seat floorboards and grins when she finds what she's looking for.

She hands an empty beer bottle to Steve. "Plant this in the front seat when you're done."

"Thanks," he replies and gets in.

"I'm still mad at you, you know."

"Look, it's not that I don't want you to get your own revenge, but I can't chance him getting to you again. Billy would kick my ass if anything else happens to you."

She rolls her eyes. " Whatever. Just don't fuck it up."

His eyes narrow and his voice is hard when he replies, "Don't worry, I won't."

And damn, she really trusts him to do this. She really thinks he can pull this off. He's the only one as pissed off as she is and he won't let the night end with her step dad still breathing.

She trusts him.

So she shuts the door when he hides in the back seat and goes back to his car to wait.

God. She hates waiting.

* * *

Normally Steve hates the silence, gets antsy and paranoid, but right now he's grateful for it. Because he has so many thoughts running through his head and so many feelings twisting in his gut. He knows what he's about to do will change him.

But it doesn't matter. This needs to happen. He needs to end this.

Even though he's prepared, his heart still wants to explode when Neil opens the Bronco's door and gets in.

Steve immediately wraps his arms around the seat and presses the knife against the man's throat and hisses in his ear, "Drive."

"I don't know what you want, but if it's money, you're shit out of luck."

"I don't want your fucking money." He snaps, "I want you to _drive."_

And this may not be the best plan after all, because Steve can smell the alcohol on him.

"And if I don't?"

"I'll get this knife a little bloody."

Neil laughs. "You sound like a kid, so I seriously doubt it."

Steve responds by pressing the knife close to his collarbone and slashes upwards, stopping just under his ear.

It's not quite the _same_ feeling as nails sinking into flesh before being ripped out, but the adrenaline is. He feels kinda high with it. "Doubting me now?"

The man responds by shifting into drive.

He doesn't talk for a while and Steve only speaks to tell him where to turn. They are close to their final destination when Neil finally asks, "Who are you? Why are you doing this? I haven't _done_ anything to you."

"You may not have done anything to _me_ , but you've continuously hurt someone I care about."

"Ah, I see. So which one is it?" His sense of self preservation must have momentarily left because he sounds like an arrogant asshole when he continues, "My faggot son or the little bitch?"

Steve grits his teeth. " _Both of them."_

"So what did they do? Send you to scare me?"

"Billy can't even open his eyes let alone send me after anyone. But I bet you don't care about that."

"I see what's happening here. You plan to get rid of me don't cha?" He laughs almost manically.

Steve doesn't have time for this. "Get out."

The man scoffs but does as he says, stumbling out of the truck as Steve follows him.

"You think you can take me on, boy?" He laughs again when Steve points the knife at him and motions to the edge. "You think you can _kill_ me? I'd like to see you try."

Neil is way bigger than Steve's lanky frame, but his movements are slower due to the alcohol and there's enough rage and adrenaline in his system he could probably take on a demogorgon. It gives Steve just enough of an upper hand to get him to the edge of the cliff.

Finally there's a bit of fear in his voice as he holds onto Steve's arm. "You're going to get caught. I'd never kill myself."

"Maybe, but it's not about me, remember? I don't care as long as you're not around to hurt them anymore."

"Fuck you-"

It's easier than he thought, pushing him off the ledge. One second he's a menacing force and the next ...he's _nothing._

He stares down at the darkness below him and wipes the little bit of blood from his knife on his shirt, which he knows is dumb but he's not planning on keeping it. He'll burn it later.

Jesus.

He fucking did it.

He murdered someone.

No, not someone…some _thing._ Neil wasn't human. He was a monster. A monster that needed to be taken out.

Steve just killed another monster. Nothing more.

He shakes off the lingering insecurities and walks back to the truck, plants the empty beer bottle in the passenger seat, and leaves the door open.

It might not be perfect, but if they don't look too closely they'll buy it. They'll all assume he finally grew a conscious and offed himself before he could hurt his kid again.

He sighs and looks back the way they'd come.

It's going to be a long fucking walk.

It's noon when Jim gets the call about a possible suicide out at the quarry. When he pulls up and sees the vehicle he breathes a sigh of relief.

It's no one he knows personally.

Or, he thought so, anyway.

When he sees just who is in the body bag, he sighs for a different reason entirely.

It's Neil Hargrove.

Now Jim has no respect for the guy, kind of hates him even, but he really doubts the man jumped off the cliff. He was far too narcissistic to end his own life.

The more he thinks about it, the more he doesn't think he's looking at a suicide at all, He's just not exactly sure what he's looking at.

But he knows where to go to maybe find some answers.

The hospital room is quiet, save for the many monitors hooked up to the boy in the bed.

Max is sleeping in a chair by the window and Steve is awake in the other.

"Hey, kid. You got a minute?"

"Yeah. Until Billy wakes up I've got a lot of minutes."

Jim understands that. "Look, I'm waiting to hear back from Max's mom, and I know you've all had a hell of a night, but I've got some bad news." He pauses, "Someone found Neil Hargroves body in the quarry this morning."

He expects the silence, but there's something out of place here…

Steve doesn't look surprised.

"You know," he addresses the teen, "there was something pretty strange about Hargroves body, though."

Steve doesn't even look his way. "Yeah? What's that?"

"He had a nice little cut from his ear down to his shoulder. The others think it happened on the way down, might have hit some sharp rocks, but I know better."

"Not sure what you mean, Chief."

"I know a knife wound when I see one. Hargrove's wound was definitely made by a knife."

"Well, maybe he tried to stab himself first, but couldn't go through with it so he jumped."

"We didn't find a knife at the scene."

"Ok?"

"Steve."

"What?"

"I know it was you. Had to be. You're the only one with a motive. You shoved him and made it look like he jumped."

Silence.

And then, "Can you prove it?"

That might as well be a damn confession, but Jim is tired. Tired and relieved and a couple other emotions he won't put a name to.

"Why would I even try? As far as everyone else is concerned, he felt guilty, got drunk, and ended it. I'm perfectly fine pushing that story."

Steve stares at him for a moment. "Thanks, Chief."

"Don't mention it," he mutters, "ever."

The decision to leave it alone might mean he's covering up a crime, but it's not the first time he's covered something up in this town. And it probably won't be the last.

He won't waste and ruin a kids life over Neil Hargrove. There's no way in hell.

**Author's Note:**

> All thanks goes to Ihni who beta'd and helped me feel confident in this oneshot. You are amazing and I love you!!!


End file.
